Little Cheese Balls for the Big Game

I got the inspiration for these when I was scrolling through Pinterest one day, and thought the idea would be perfect for the Super Bowl.  To be honest, I barely glanced at the recipe because I could tell right away it would have to be completely revamped for my purposes.  Theirs were sweet, I wanted savory.  Theirs were rolled in nuts, but Hubby is allergic to nuts.  And theirs were fairly large balls of cheese on the ends of tiny little pretzel sticks.  Blech.  So basically, I just used the words “mini cheese ball” and started from square one. 

Here’s what you’ll need: 

• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• ¼ cup chopped chives
• ½ cup extra sharp cheddar, freshly grated
• Bacon 

In addition to that, you’ll need something to serve as your edible stick.  Since I like my cheese balls with crackers, I chose these mini club crackers. 

Put your softened cream cheese into a mixing bowl. 

Mix until it nice and smooth and creamy. 

Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the salt and pepper, and mix some more. 

Add the chives and cheese. 

Stir until everything is evenly distributed.  Put the cheese mixture into a container with a lid and into the fridge for a couple hours, or overnight. 

When the cheese mixture is nice and firm, you can start on the bacon.  Spread the slices on a foil lined sheet pan.  Place the pan into a cold oven, then turn the temperature to about 300°. 

The time it takes for the bacon to cook really depends on how thick the slices are.  Usually something like 20-30 minutes for mine.  You’ll want to flip the slices after the first 15 minutes.  When the bacon is nice and crispy, move it to some paper towels to drain.  When it has cooled completely, stack a few of the slices on a cutting board. 

Then chop it finely. 

Move the bacon crumbles to a smallish bowl. 

With my first batch, I sort of followed the idea I had seen online.  I rolled the cheese mixture into what looked like bite sized balls, rolled those in the bacon, and pushed in a cracker.  Cute, yes? 

Then Hubby and I tasted them.  Wow that’s a lot of cheese for one bite. Do you ever wonder if people actually taste the food they post online? Well, I always do.  Not only was it too much cheese, but because the bacon got in the way when pushing in the crackers, the balls fell off easily.  And trust me, you don't want your balls to fall off.  Ok, back to the drawing board.  Take a small amount of the cheese mixture, like a teaspoon, and shape it into something sort of log shaped.  Then push the end of a cracker into it and it should attach itself nicely. 

Now press that in the bacon crumbles.  As you place each one onto your serving plate, press down gently to give them a flat bottom so they don’t fall over.    

Ah, now that is what a mini cheese ball should be.  A single bite of cheesy deliciousness balanced perfectly by the cracker it comes on.  Serve them with a little bowl of extra crackers, just in case people want them.  And if you want a little something sweet, these little chocolate footballs would be the perfect addition.     

What do you like most about Super Bowl Sunday?  The food, the commercials, or the actual game? 

Scrambling for Breakfast

When it’s cold outside, I tend to want something warm for breakfast.  Oatmeal is great and all, but I also like having more savory options.  For that, one of my favorite things is a scramble.  What’s a scramble?  Think omelet, but all mixed up.  I’m going to show you how to make everything you need ahead of time so you can throw it together in just a few minutes.  It’s more of a technique than an actual recipe.  Here’s what you have to ask yourself.  “What do I like in an omelet?”  For me, the answer is broccoli, zucchini, and ham. 

Your answer might be something completely different, and that’s ok.  Onion, bell pepper, spinach, mushrooms, bacon, chicken, sausage… you can use any combination of ingredients you like.  Just make sure any meat is cooked before you begin.  Then, just cut everything into little pieces.  I had about 2 cups each of the zucchini and broccoli, and maybe 1 ½ cups of the ham. 

In a pan, melt 1 Tablespoon of butter over medium heat. 

Add your veg. 

Sprinkle on ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper.  Stir it all together and pop on the lid. 

Allow it to cook for 5 minutes or so, stirring occasionally.  You want the vegetables to just begin to soften and give off a bit of their liquid.  You don’t want them cooked all the way because they’re going to do a bit more cooking later.  Remove the lid and add the meat. 

Stir that in and turn off the heat.  Allow it to cool, and then separate it into individual portions.  Scoop out ½ cup of the mixture. 

Then just put it into a little zip top bag.  The snack size ones work great for this.  They’ll be fine in the fridge for 2 or 3 days, or in the freezer for probably a month or two. 

When you’re ready, you can pull them straight from either the fridge or freezer.  Butter a pan over medium heat and dump one in.  Place the lid on and give it a couple minutes to warm up.  When everything is nice and hot, pour in two scrambled eggs. 

Stir until the eggs are cooked.  For me, there is a fine line between cooked and overcooked.  My eggs cannot show the slightest sign of slime, nor can they be even remotely browned.  This is why I prefer scrambles over omelets.  It’s hard to get an omelet cooked all the way through and not browned at all on the outside. 

I like to add a little sprinkle of cheese.  Do this right at the end after you’ve turned off the heat.  Then just stir briefly and place on the lid.  Allow it to melt while you’re waiting for the toaster to do its thing. 

Serve with some whole wheat toast and a glass of fresh squeezed juice and you have a fabulous, (dare I say gourmet?) breakfast, and it took less than 10 minutes to make. 

What do you like in your omelet?